Cara Bain Design

Baking Powder – Packaging Redesign

2010-12-10T16:55:00.000-08:00

Here is a redesign I have done of trusty Magic baking powder (I changed the name to Magic's for copyright reasons). Keeping the same color scheme, I updated the label and changed the plastic container for a clasp-top jar. I also expanded the product line to include baking soda and yeast. To make your baking 'Magically delicious!' (bad joke, my apologies).

Sufjan Stevens – Band Poster Illustration

2010-12-10T16:53:00.000-08:00

This image is not very conceptual. It is not a portrait of Sufjan Stevens. It is not an illustration of one of his songs. I just thought, if I could distill his music into an image it should be full of innocence, earnestness, awe, curiosity and play. This is what came out of that.

Human Trafficking – poster illustration

2010-12-10T16:51:00.000-08:00

This is an illustration I did to raise awareness about the issue of human trafficking. This issue is so complicated, and so important that I really wanted to give it the attention it deserves. However, it was difficult to focus the concept to something that would communicate to the general public. I originally wanted the image to speak about the deception and entrapment of people when they leave there country for ours. I wanted to say that this entrapment is often not immediately visible to us, and is often psychological. However, I decided to focus the concept to something more specific. To do this I used the metaphor of drug trafficking.

Like drugs, victims of trafficking are highly valuable; valuable but not valued. Their 'captors' make so much money by literally selling them like commodities. This image shows the helplessness of the victims and the darkness of the issue. Human beings packaged and sold, right where we live and work, all around us, unnoticed.

Gravities

2010-11-13T19:36:00.000-08:00

"Gravities" Oil on Canvas, 30 x 40"
The piece is about the unseen forces on our lives that draw us in different directions: some harmful, others helpful, and few divine.

Game Theory Packaging

2010-11-13T18:59:00.000-08:00

Shopping bag and packaging for Game Theory (see post below) a shop that sells board games etc.

Game Theory Branding

2010-11-13T18:17:00.000-08:00

Game theory is a fictional store that sells board games, card games and pretty much every other type of non-electronic game. This is the logo and business card I designed.

The Count

2010-11-13T17:51:00.000-08:00

This is an illustration for a double page spread in a magazine. The story is an excerpt of The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas.
In this part of the story in which Edmond Dantes, wrongfully imprisoned, has lost all hope and is contemplating suicide. The flow chart follows the steps he takes to escape from the Chateau D'If. The illustration is meant to grab your attention, and create interest when, reading the story, you can refer back to it to see how all the elements work together.

Detail of original charcoal drawing that went into the final digital version.

Illustrations for "The Land Lady"

2010-11-13T17:24:00.000-08:00

Three illlustrations for Roald Dahl's short story, The Land Lady. I thought I'd dry my hand at illustrating in Photoshop, and really enjoyed it! The story is about a young man who stays at a bed and breakfast, run by a land lady with questionable intentions...

Razor Package Redesign

2010-10-03T13:23:00.000-07:00

Here is my solution for a more environmentally conscious package for woman's razors. The starting point was the Soleil Shimmer (see image below). Way over packaged.
The redesign cuts materials way down, using mostly high-content PCW cardstock and a small amount of cornstarch recycled plastic. I also re-branded the product, and tried to make it stand out from razors that have that gradient and sunburst/ silk and water look.

(before)

Fashion Illustration

2010-09-30T12:40:00.000-07:00

Large window display for woman's boutique.

Jazz Logo

2010-07-23T14:51:00.000-07:00

This is a logo/logo presentation I did for a fictional company, very similar to Vancouver Dixieland Jazz Society. The society is committed to revitalizing the traditional jazz scene in Vancouver. They would put on weekly live jazz event (dancing optional), and provide online educational resources, such as vintage photos/videos and the history of jazz icons.

The first few image slides are moodboards. Put together before creating the logo/ads etc. to establish a look and feel for the brand. The logo reveal is created to get the client to 'buy in' to what I've designed.

Sanctuary

2010-07-20T23:00:00.000-07:00

"Sanctuary" Oil on Canvas. 20x24 inches. A forest in North Vancouver.

Just for fun

2010-07-17T18:45:00.000-07:00

My photography is now on Flikr!

2010-07-03T19:30:00.000-07:00

I created an account on Flickr! To check out some of my bestest photograpym click HERE

Organic food website mockup

2010-07-03T17:40:00.000-07:00

What city is it?

2010-06-19T22:06:00.000-07:00

Still working on making it legible, but here is a piece of illustrated typography for the city of Portland, the land of happy bearded folk.

Recipe Book Cover Illustration

2010-06-19T21:57:00.000-07:00

For a recipe book on Bolivian cuisine. A woman in traditional dress from La Paz.

An example of one of the spot illustrations (small illustration) for the inside.

Georgia Straight Cover

2010-06-19T21:50:00.000-07:00

An illustration regarding an article about how protests can have an impact, specifically on VANOC and the Olympics. For a class project, not actually commissioned by the Georgia Straight.

Last Light

2010-06-07T23:25:00.001-07:00

Oil painting of Gastown for the Reflections 2011 exhibition and calendar project. 24"x36"- $950

Video

2010-01-06T08:57:00.000-08:00

This is a video project made by Tayber Voyer (an Interactive Design student at Capilano) about me. Several students from his program decided to interview several students from ours for a final video project.

Christmas Cards

2010-01-05T23:53:00.000-08:00

Every year my Dad commissions me to make a Christmas card. Here are my two best ones.

Winter comes to claim her prize;

The earth now breathes so slow and deep,

The meadowland and woodland tarry,

Then in frost and snow to sleep.

(This is the first verse of a poem written by my Dad, Russ Bain. It is what inspired this painting.)

Collage Christmas card from a few years ago.

Life Drawing/Painting 2

2010-01-05T23:39:00.000-08:00

"Judith, Queen of Gilder" charcoal/ink. Looks like Judy Dench, in fact her name is Judy, but she's not a Dench...that I know of.

Judy again, Ink and charcoal.

"Peter" chalk pastels

charcoal on paper (I forget her name)

Life drawings/Paintings

2010-01-05T20:38:00.000-08:00

A series of paintings/drawing done from life.

"Bonny Lass" (watercolour)

Ink on paper

Chalk pastel on paper.

"Anthony" (acrylic on canvas)

Vancouver International Auto Show

2010-01-04T12:01:00.001-08:00

Entrees for the Vancouver International Auto Show poster design contest.

I took a series of time exposure photos and warped them into the shape of a car to create the illusion of speed. The question is: is the car going or coming? So far seems the opinion is split fifty-fifty.

Frightened Rabbit

2010-01-04T09:33:00.000-08:00

CD cover? Poster image? It could be either. If you look closely at the upside down text on the little boat it says "baby for sale"... I'm not sure what story its from but I ripped the pages out of an old children's book. (The book was old, not the children)

Kaitlyn and Hannah

2010-01-04T09:13:00.000-08:00

Paintings of my cousin's twin Daughters. Oil on canvas 11x14".

This one's Kaitlyn.

My cousin Bethi with her niece, Hannah.

Sketchbook

2009-11-24T17:09:00.000-08:00

Here are some composites of the sketches in my most recent sketchbook.These people are Ant, man from bus, girl from bus and Nick.

Grant, Elina, Andrew, random man, Emily, Kiff, the other Andrew.

Nick, Ryan, Vesna, Steven, Emily, 2 random bald guys, Grant, Ant, Andrew, and Ryan's feet.

Book Design

2009-11-17T13:15:00.000-08:00

Book cover design for "Dubliners" by James Joyce, a compilation of short stories about... you guessed it, people from Dublin.

A double page spread from inside.

Insurgents

2009-11-17T13:09:00.000-08:00

An illustration for a magazine article. The article is about the war in Afghinanistan: fighting an army that you can't see because they're dressed as civilians.

Band Poster

2009-11-08T23:16:00.000-08:00

A poster for the band The Acorn. They're pretty good, you should check them out. It looks a lot better until I put it on this blog...and then it looks really washed out, don't know why. The original is better, I promise.

Honest Abe

2009-11-08T21:40:00.000-08:00

A typographical portrait of Abraham Lincoln, made out of characters from the typeface Dear Sarah.

EXTREME MAKEOVER!

2009-11-08T21:34:00.000-08:00

Photoshop makeover. I call her Butch-Bain.

Playing card design

2009-04-20T23:35:00.000-07:00

10 of hearts

Typography

2009-04-20T23:29:00.000-07:00

Film graphic inspired by Saul Bass

Exercises in typography

2009-04-20T23:10:00.000-07:00

Illustration for a children's story. This is the part where the fluff from Georgina's torn up teddy bear becomes a map of the galaxy. The process was a bit complicated. The girl is done in coloured pencil, then I made a shadow box by setting he away from the back and attaching cotton to pins stuck to the back of the box, then I photographed it and worked into the photo with coloured pencil and gouache.

CD cover design for "Peter and the Wolf", not the folk band, the orchestral piece. (Gouache/ink on paper)

Still life (oil on canvas)

"Old Man Winter" (watercolour)

Typographic compostions

2009-04-20T22:47:00.000-07:00

"Dada" (Collage)

"A Lesson Learned"

2009-03-16T13:36:00.000-07:00

"A lesson learned" Oil on Board

Air step

2009-02-21T16:54:00.001-08:00

Acrylic on canvas- an engagement gift for my brother and his fiance.

2009-01-15T13:58:00.000-08:00

Some people I like.

2009-01-15T13:42:00.000-08:00

Portrait of Gustav Kilmpt in gouache. He never had an iguana as far as I know...I just like iguanas.

Danice and Lynn -watercolour and pencil crayon.

Design for a Billie Holiday commemorative LP. Done in the style of illustrator Joe Ciardiello.

Illustrations

2008-11-20T11:30:00.001-08:00

Whippoorwill (watercolour and coloured pencil)

Illustration for "A Horse and his Boy" by C. S. Lewis (watercolour and coloured pencils)

"Figure 1" (Ink and Brush)

"Figure 2" (Ink and Brush)

Design Projects

2008-11-18T22:07:00.000-08:00

Gift series design: garment, packaging(inspired by a binoculars case), and hang tag (which can double as a sleeping mask, or just fake goggles if you wear it).

This is a poster design I did for "Blues Hero" a swing dancing workshop weekend in September 2008.

CD Design

2008-11-17T21:20:00.000-08:00

"...The flat lands stretch inside your mouth and when you laugh all the star thistles stumble out."

My design for an album cover. This album doesn't actually exist, its the title of a song by Alela Diane, who on the other hand, does exist, and is amazing.

Back of album

Fold out poster